Question

Erosion of top soil disturbs the nitrogen cycle justify this statement. Name any 2 non - leguminous plant which can fix atmospheric nitrogen

Answer 1

umm.. alfalfa and soyabean?

Answer 2

The correct answer is - Parasponia species and Frankia species.

The non-legume plants like Parasponia species of the family Cannabaceae and the Frankia species (Gram-positive) members of the actinomycete family are associated with a broad spectrum of plants belonging to eight families collectively called actinorhizal plants.

These plants absorb the available nitrogen in the soil through their roots in the form of ammonium and nitrates. The limited bio-availability of nitrogen and the dependence of crop growth on this element have spawned a massive N-based fertilizer industry worldwide.

Parasponia, which is a tropical genus in the Cannabaceae is also able to interact with rhizobia and form nitrogen-fixing nodules.

The accommodation of symbiotic bacteria in plant cells is a type of one of the symbiotic systems that could help define strategies for transferring nitrogen-fixing ability to non-legume crops.